Scaffold



F. E. WALP SCAFFOLD Feb. 10, 1942.

Filed. Jul 10, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 10, 1942.

F. E. WALP 2,272,957

SCAFFOLD Filed July 10, 1941 3 Sheefs-Shet s Patented Feb, 10, 1942barren stares rarest orrics SCAFFOLD Fred E. Walp, Springfield, OhioApplication July 10, 1941, Serial No'. 401,827

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel form of scaffold of simpleconstruction capable of being used either with a pair of platformsupporting members thereof resting against an upright surface such as abuilding wall for supporting a, platform thereon, or with four of theplatform supporting members connected in pairs and with each pair of theplatform supporting members forming a support for an end of the platformfor use in indoor and overhead Work.

It is a particular aim of the invention to provide a convenient scaffoldconstruction adapted to be used for painting and general contracting andin the building trades generally, to eliminate the use of ladders to alarge extent and also to eliminate the expense of building scaffolds, byproviding a scaffold of simple construction which can be quickly andeasily set up to support a scafiold platform and which can be folded,when not in use, to permit it to be readily stored or transported.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide a scaffold comprisinga plurality of foldable platform supporting members each including apair of legs which are adapted to rest on the ground or othersubstantially horizontal supporting surface and having means forsupporting a platform at a number of different elevations.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide platform supportingmembers having extensible and adjustable legs which can be adjusted forVarying the height at which the platform is supported and also tocompensate for any unevenness in the surface on which the different legsrest.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawings,which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the scaffold assembled foroutside work and with the platform supporting members resting against aVertical surface such as a wall,

Figur 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same takensubstantially along the plane of the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational View of one of the platformsupporting members,

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the same looking toward theinner side thereof,

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view takensubstantially along the plane of the line 55 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of a portion of theplatform supporting member taken substantially along a plane indicatedby the line 66 of Figure 5,

Figure '7 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view takensubstantially along the plane of the line 'l---'! of Figure 3, v

Figure 8 is an enlarged vertical section-a1 view taken substantiallyalong the plane of the line 8-8 of Figure 1,

Figure 9 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing anotherassembly of the scaffold,

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the same, and

Figure 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantiallyalong the plane of the line llll of Figure 9. g

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views, [0 designates generally a scaffold platform supportingmember including a pair of legs II and i2 each of which is formed ofangle iron including a side i3 and a side I4. Each of the legs It and I2is formed of extensible sections including an upper section [5 and alower section IS, The sides [3 of the sections 15 and [6 of both legs Hand I2 ar provided with spaced openings I! certain of which are adaptedto be disposed in registering positions to receive bolt and wing nutfastenings it by means of which the sections 15 and I6 of each of thelegs are adjustably connected.

The sides l3 of the legs H and I2 are disposed substantially in the sameplane and the sides It, which form the outer portions of the legs aredisposed in opposed relationship to one another. As seen in Figure 5, aplate i9 is rigidly attached to the inner surface of the side I3 of theleg l2, at the upper end thereof by means of a plurality of fastenings20. The plate [9 is provided with a restricted lateral extension whichengages the inner surface of the side l3 of the upper end of theleg IIand which is pivotally connected thereto by means of a fastening 2| forpivotally connecting the legs at their upper ends. It will thus be seenthat the legs II and 12 of the supporting member Ill can be swung tofolded positions against one another and substantially parallel to oneanother. A rod 22 ex-' tends through the sides Id of the upper ends ofthe legs I l and i2 and is provided with headed ends 23 disposed on theouter sides thereof. The side M of the leg II is provided with anenlarged opening 24 through which the rod 22 loosely extends. As seen inFigure 5, the head 23 of one end of the rod 22 is spaced outwardly fromthe side l4 of the leg H to combine with the opening 24 to allow the legII to swing inwardly toward the leg l2 for folding the legs.

A beam 25, which is T-shaped in cross section, is provided with adepending web 26 having an opening 21 in one end thereof for looselyengaging the rod 22, between the legs II and I2. Spacing sleeves 28 aremounted on the rod 22, between the sides l4 and the web 26 forpreventing lateral movement of the beam 25 when the legs are in openpositions, as shown in Figure 5. The lower edge of the web 26, at theend thereof provided with the opening 21, is cutaway as seen at 29 inFigure 6 to permit the beam 25 to swing downwardly and into a positionbetween the legs H and I2.

A pair of braces 30, which are angular in cross section, are providedwith depending inner sides through which extend fastenings 3| forconnecting the braces 30 at corresponding ends thereof to the innersurface of the side 13 of the leg [2. their depending sides cutaway toform notches 32 which are adapted to detachably engage fastenings 33which project from the inner surface of the side l3 of the leg H.Fastenings 33 preferably comprise threaded bolts having wing shapedheads which are adjustable for clamping the notched ends of the braces39 to the leg H. As seen in Figure 4, the braces 35 when in engagementwith both of the legs are disposed substantially parallel and insubstantially horizontal planes for holding the legs in open, downwardlydiverging relationship to one another.

A pair of braces 34 are pivotally connected at corresponding endsthereof to the inner surfaces of the sides 14 of the legs II and I2,near the upper nds of the legs. A bolt and wing nut fastening 35 extendsloosely through the web 26 near the free end of the beam 25 and isadapted to detachably engage openings in the free ends of the braces 34for .detachably connecting the braces to the beam 25 so that said braceswill support the beam in an extended position relatively to the legs andat anobtuse angle thereto, as best seen in Figure '3. An elongated baror hanger 36 is detachably connected at its upper end to the fastening3.5 and depends downwardly therefrom substantially at .a right angle tothe beam 25. A pair of supporting bars 31 are each pivotally connectedat an end thereof to spaced portions of the hanger 36. The supportingbars 3! are angular in cross section and are provided with dependingsides: As ,seen :in Figure .8, the depending sides of the bars 31 arecutaway atthe free ends of said bars and the upper sides of said barsextend therebeyond and are turned downwardly to form downwardly opening:notc'hes 38, similar to the notches 32 and which are adapted todetachably engage over the braces 3i! for supporting the bars 31 beneathand substantially parallel to the beam .25.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the parts 36 and 31 may bereadily detached from the beam 25 and. braces 31] and the bars 3'!folded against the hanger 3% after which the braces 30 and 34 and thebeam 25 can be readily folded between the legs II and 12 and disposedtherebetween with the legs folded relatively to one another so that thescaffold platform supporting member I 3 can be conveniently stored ortransported.

A pair of the scaffold platform supporting The opposite ends of thebraces 30 havemembers ID are adapted to be employed, as illustrated inFigures 1 and 2 with the free ends of their beams 25 resting against anupright surface such as the wall of a building, indicated at 39. Whenthus disposed, as seen in Figure 2, the beams 25 and the bars 3'! willbe disposed substantially in horizontal planes and the legs H and I2will extend downwardly and outwardly relatively to the wall 39 so thatthe members EU will lean thereagainst. A scaffold platform 43 is adaptedto rest on the upper flanged portions 4! of the beams 25 to form withthe members l8 a complete scaffold for supporting workmen. It will beapparent that the Weight of the workmen on the platform 40 will tend tohold the members H) tight against the wall 39. Should the surface onwhich the legs II and I2 of the members H) rest be uneven, it will bereadily apparent that the leg sections l5 and I6 of the individual legsmay be adjusted to compensate for such unevenness to maintain theflanged portions 41 in substantially horizontal planes. Likewise, thelegs may be extended or retracted for varying the height at which theplatform 58 will be positioned. A further adjustment of the elevation ofthe platform 40 can be provided by positioning the platform oncorresponding bars 3? of the supporting members Iii, as indicated indotted lines in Figure 3. It will thus be seen that the bars 3'1 formsupplementary supporting beams for the platform.

The scaffold assembly'as shown in Figures 1 v and *2 is of the lean-totype and is especially adapted for outdoor use. For indoor or overheadwork the scaffold may be assembled, as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10by the use of four supporting members H] and a pair of coupling bars orstringers 42 which combine with the members 50 to' provide anindependently supported scaffold frame. The coupling bars 42, as bestseen in Figures 9 and 11, are provided with longitudinally extendingslots 43 at the ends thereof which open upwardly of the coupling bars 42and outwardly of the ends thereof for engaging the webs 26 of a pair ofthe beams 25 which are disposed, as seen in Figure 10, so that theirfree ends are extending toward one another. The webs 26 are eachprovided with an opening 44 near its pivoted end and the slotted ends ofthe coupling bars 42 are provided with transverse openings 45 which arearranged to aline with the openings 44 and the openings through whichthe fastenings 35 extend for receiving the fastenings 35 and similarfastenings 4 5 which extend through the openings 44, for detachablyconnecting the ends of the coupling bars 32 to a pair of the supportingmembers 10. Coupling bars 42 are preferably provided with U-shapedmembers 47 which engage portions of the bottoms and sides thereof andthrough which the fastenings 35 and 46 extend for reinforcing saidportions of the coupling bars. When the supporting members ii! areassembled with the coupling members 42, as in Figures 9 and 10, thebraces 34 and the hangers 33 are disposed on the outer sides of thecoupling bars 42, as seen in Figure ll.

As seen in Figures 9 and 10, a plurality of platform members 48 may besupported on the parallel coupling bars or stringers 42 or the flanges4| of the beams 25 or the platform members may be supported bycorresponding alined bars 37, as seen in dotted lines, for positioningthe platform members at lower levels.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, provided they fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as onlypreferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A scaffold comprising a plurality of platform supporting members,each of said supporting members including a pair of legs, said legsbeing pivotally connected at their upper ends, braces for holding saidlegs in downwardly diverging relationship to one another, a beampivotally connected at one of its ends to said legs at their upperpivoted ends, and braces for supporting said beam at an angle to thelegs, said beam being adapted to be disposed in substantially ahorizontal position and with its free end resting against an uprightsupporting surface, said legs being adapted to rest at their lower endson a horizontal supporting surface for supporting the opposite, pivotedend of the beam, and said platform supporting members being adapted tobe disposed, relatively to one another, so as to support a platform ontheir beams, a hanger detachably connected to the beam, adjacent itsfree end and depending therefrom, a plurality of bars each pivotallyconnected at one end thereof to said hanger, and said bars beingprovided with notched free ends for engaging said first mentioned bracesfor supporting the bars in substantially horizontal positions, beneathand substantially parallel to the beam, and said bars formingsupplementary platform supporting beams.

2. A scaffold comprising a plurality of corner platform supportingmembers, each of said members including a pair of legs, said legs beingpivotally connected at their upper ends, braces for detachably holdingsaid legs in downwardly diverging relationship to one another, a beampivotally connected at one end thereof to the pivoted ends of said legs,a brace detachably connected to the beam for supporting it atsubstantially a right angle to the plane of the legs, a pair of saidsupporting members being adapted to be disposed with the beams thereofextending toward one another, an elongated coupling bar, and means fordetachably connecting the ends of said coupling bar to said beams toprovide an elongated horizontal support for an end of a scaffoldplatform, said beams being T-shaped in cross section, and said couplingbar being provided with slots in the ends thereof for engaging the webportions of said T-shaped beams, and fastenings extending through theslotted ends of the coupling member and the web portions of the beamsfor detachably connecting the coupling member to the beams.

3. A scaffold comprising a plurality of corner platform supportingmembers, each of said members including a pair of legs, said legs beingpivotally connected at their upper ends, braces for detachably holdingsaid legs in downwardly diverging relationship to one another, a beampivotally connected at one end thereof to the pivoted ends of said legs,a brace detachably connected to the beam for supporting it atsubstantially a right angle to the plane of the legs, a pair of saidsupporting members being adapted .to be disposed with the beams thereofextending toward one another, an elongated coupling bar, and means fordetachably connecting the ends of said coupling bar to said beams toprovide an elongated horizontal support for an end of a scaffoldplatform, said beams being T-shaped in cross section, and said couplingbar being provided with slots in the ends thereof for engaging the webportions of said T-shaped beams, and fastenings extending through theslotted ends of the coupling member and the web portions of the beamsfor detachably connecting the coupling member to the beams, a hangerdetachably connected to and depending from each of the beams, barspivotally connected at corresponding ends thereof to the hanger, and theopposite ends of the bars being detachably supported by the leg bracesto provide supplementary supporting means for the ends of a platform.

4. A scaffold support comprising a pair of legs of angle iron, a platefastened to the inner side of one of the sides of one of said legs, saidplate being pivotally connected to the inner side of the correspondingside of the other leg for pivotally connecting the legs, said sides ofthe legs being disposed to extend toward one another, a pin extendingthrough the other sides of the legs and loosely disposed relatively toone of the legs, sleeves mounted on the pin between said last mentionedsides, a beam, T-shaped in cross section, having its web looselyengaging the pin, between the sleeves, and adjacent one end of the beam,said beam being foldable between the legs, braces swingably connected tothe legs and detachably connected to the beam for supporting the beam atan angle to the legs, said braces being foldably against the legs, and aleg brace swingably connected to one leg and detachably engaging theother leg to hold the legs in open positions, said leg brace beingfoldable against the leg to which it is swingably connected.

FRED E. WALP.

